Bill > HB1433

This bill establishes a pilot program for eviction mediation that aims to help both landlords and tenants resolve rental payment disputes before eviction. The bill extends the notice period for rental termination from five to ten calendar days and requires landlords to engage in mandatory mediation before filing for summary possession (eviction). Specifically, landlords must provide a detailed ten-calendar-day notice to tenants that includes contact information, rent amount due, and information about mediation, and must simultaneously send this notice to a state-funded mediation center. If a tenant schedules mediation, the landlord must delay filing an eviction action, and both parties will be responsible for their own mediation costs. The mediation can occur remotely or in-person, and if the tenant defaults on a mediated agreement, the landlord can seek payment of mediation costs and attorney's fees. The bill is modeled after a successful 2021 law (Act 57) that previously helped reduce evictions through similar mediation procedures, and it includes an appropriation of funds for judiciary-contracted mediation services. The program is set to begin on February 5, 2026, and will automatically expire on February 4, 2027, reverting the law to its previous form.

Budget and Finance, Business and Industry, Justice

https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=1433&year=2026